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Hohoho What Does Upcycled Mean? Recycling & Upcycling Explained



Recycling, Repurposing, Upcycling – what’s the difference? 

…and what just is Upcycling?





We all know what recycling is. H5N1 plastic pocketbook is used to comport dwelling groceries, thus is later reused by the possessor who uses the pocketbook a minute or 3rd time, mayhap to ane time again comport groceries or to store items. The pocketbook has been reused, as well as inwards a way, it has been recycled past times its owner. The value of the pocketbook remains the same.


Let's right away say that the same plastic pocketbook is sent out for recycling to a recycling plant. It's taken to a manufactory where it is pose amongst lots of other plastic bags which are thus turned into something new, such equally to a greater extent than novel plastic bags. The pocketbook is beingness recycled, but close of the time, it is too beingness downcycled... 




Downcycling is something that occurs when items that are recycled are converted into items of lesser lineament due to the recycling procedure itself. For example, dissimilar types of plastic bottles may live recycled as well as during the recycling process, approximately of the valuable materials from these plastics may live extracted past times the recycling procedure itself. In the end, what may live left is a hybrid type of plastic of a lesser lineament than the lineament of plastic of the master bottle earlier it was recycled. After the recycling process, the lineament of the plastic has gone down. One instance is that an onetime plastic pocketbook that is recycled into a novel plastic pocketbook may non live equally durable equally the master pocketbook was. This is downcycling. 



With upcycling, an especial is no longer beingness used for its intended purpose, but is repurposed – given a new purpose – as well as along amongst this novel purpose (and this is the of import part) it is too given an increase in value (usually both aesthetically as well as monetarily.) 
It is worth to a greater extent than inwards its novel form.







Upcycled items oftentimes direct keep both a better quality as well as a higher environmental value than they had inwards their master state! 

What else makes upcycled items thus desirable?
They are created amongst conception as well as creativity!


Here's an example:

My daughters flora this slice of a broken plate on a nature walk...



I turned the broken plate slice into iii beautiful necklaces for them!









One of the best quotes explaining upcycling comes from Wisegeek:

"Upcycling is designed to piece of job inwards opposition to consumer culture, encouraging people to recall of novel as well as innovative ways to utilization things, instead of but buying novel consumer goods. It too benefits the environment, past times promoting reuse over discarding whenever possible."


At a glance:

Recycled – inwards it's broadest feel - used ane time again as well as value remains unchanged

Downcycled – items are turned into novel items of a lesser lineament than their master state

Repurposed – used ane time again but amongst a novel purpose

Upcycled – used again, amongst a novel purpose, as well as amongst greater value than its master state





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What practice you lot think?

Have you lot ever upcycled something?




I promise you lot direct keep a groovy week 
Love, Laura


My broken china jewelry is ever available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/shop/dishfunctionldesigns